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The Libro Newsletter!

25 Oct

I’ve decided to launch a Libro newsletter, and you can sign up here !

I won’t be sending it out too often, probably once a month, if that – but I’m hoping it will be a useful thing for my clients, prospective clients and friends. The first edition has gone out now, and I’m looking forward to finding out what you’d like to read about in it.

So far, my ideas for what to include are …

  • News of what’s going on in Libro-land – for example an announcement when I go full-time with the business
  • A summary of interesting posts on this blog
  • Information on my services – if you came to know about Libro early on, you might not know the full range of what I do
  • Case-studies (any clients brave enough?)
  • Answers to questions submitted by my readers – grammatical, business-related …

But it’s you (and other people) who are going to be reading it. So tell me what you’d like to see!

If you could bring yourself to share this post, either using the buttons below or by Retweeting or Facebook sharing my posts about this post, I’d be ever so grateful – I want to reach out to people who won’t automatically see about this on this blog, but who might find it useful.  You know how I like to be useful! Thank you!

You can sign up in advance here. I’m using MailChimp, which doesn’t like spamming and seems easy to use and reputable. People enjoyed the first issue in November, and the next one will have exciting news and some exclusive content …

 
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Posted by on October 25, 2011 in Business

 

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So you want to be a freelancer … Part 2

19 Oct

Right, so once you’ve gone through the questions I posed in my last post and decided that you are suited to freelance work, and you’ve been on the initial courses that I recommended, it’s time to set up good, reliable working practices right from the start. These are some things I’ve found handy:

•    Prioritise. This is key. Make sure you have time for work, yourself and other people. If you work all hours, you’ll run yourself into the ground. That won’t do anyone any good. And if you are likely to end up doing lots of little projects …
•    Organise. I set up a Gantt chart on a spreadsheet – clients down the side, dates along the top, and I colour-block in dates that projects are booked in for, changing the colour as they arrive, when I’ve invoiced, when they’ve paid.  It’s a really good way to see what you’ve got on and whether you can fit in that extra client project.
•    Set up terms and conditions.  I have standard email text that I sent out when I’m quoting for a job, stating when I will ask for payment, how they can pay, what I’m doing, etc.  For larger ongoing clients, I set up an agreement in a Word document and make sure we’ve both agreed to it.  It’s better to know how you’re going to end things or deal with conflicts before it comes to the crunch.
•    Invoice. Make sure you invoice clients as soon as you’ve done the job. Or before, if you work that way round. If you arrange to invoice people for several projects at the end of the month, do it.  There’s software you can buy, or you can just set up a Word template.  Then make sure you check and record their payment. That’s where the Gantt chart comes in handy.  Not in green – they haven’t paid and it might be time to chase up.
•    Tools. Make sure you have up to date and legitimate versions of the software you need – Word, etc.  If you will be working with any kind of software, whether to read knitting patterns or invent widgets, there are often free downloads available, or trial copies.
•    Work for your clients, not yourself. Some of my clients, like students and translators, need me to show all the changes in Track Changes so they make the decision on what to change and I’m not writing their work for them. Other clients just want me to go in, rewrite and send it back to them. Offer your clients choices, but be prepared to make recommendations based on what similar people have requested, too.
•    Be flexible and open. I started off as an editor and proofreader. But as clients asked me to do more things, I added in writing, transcription, copy-typing and localising to my portfolio.  All things I could actually do already! More income streams, more work!  Have a think about what you can offer outside of your core products.  If you knit toys, why not run a class or knit some funny shapes for adults. That came out a bit funny, but you know what I mean!
•    Network. Both among your peers (in the business and other freelancers who work from home) and among other businesspeople in your area. Twitter and Facebook are useful for finding out what’s going on. It gets you out of the house and meeting people.  LinkedIn offers business networking online – join the groups and get chatting.
•    Outsource. Know when you need help. If something is going to take you longer in terms of hours and cost more in terms of work you can’t do while you’re doing a task, outsource it. Freelance journalist – get someone else to transcribe your tapes. Not good at sums – get a bookkeeper or accountant in to control your records.  It’s also useful to know people in the same line of business as you to whom you can pass work in an emergency.
I hope you find these handy hints useful.  I’ve grown in confidence and developed my skills and, not a natural entrepreneur, have built a successful and flourishing business!

You might also find my Freelance/Business people Saturday interview series useful to find out what people who are already in business wish they’d done differently, and their top tips, as well as my resource guide to articles on careers on this website. Also, do take a look at my e-books, which cover this topic in detail.

This article is based, with permission from the blog owner, on a guest post I wrote for the Subs Standards blog. That was for editors; this one’s for everyone!

 
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Posted by on October 19, 2011 in Business

 

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So you want to be a freelancer … Part 1

12 Oct

In August 2009 I decided to take what I’d been doing for people for free, as a kind of slightly odd hobby (in my case proofreading and editing) and turn it into a business.  I didn’t think I could sustain myself on a couple of one-off clients and a dream, so I “soft-launched”, which means starting a business while having another income stream, in my case a day job I was doing already.  I have learned a lot and I’ve been sharing this experience with other people starting small businesses at Social Media Cafes and Entrepreneur Meet-ups, so I thought I’d share it here, too.  This is going to be a two-part series, with next week’s post telling you what to do once you’ve set yourself up. But let’s see whether this is the career choice for you, first!

Before you start

There are quite a few things it’s worth thinking about before you launch yourself into a freelance career. Here are some of the main ones:
•    Do I have useful skills that people are prepared to pay for?  If you’re already doing something in your daily work life that you would like to do on your own, then yes, you may well have (but see below warnings about doing the same thing for an employer and yourself).   If you’ve just got a general idea about going into business for yourself, think about skills you have developed as part of your job or a hobby.  I had done a fair bit of editing and writing in various jobs, but it didn’t strike me how many different things I could offer until I was running the business. I could have offered more from the very beginning.
•    Is there a market for my particular skills, and will I be able to access it? If you’re experienced in a particular area, do you have contacts who will help you find freelance work?  Contacts are the key.  Are there companies who might take a sample, for example shops which might stock your knitted widgets or people who might share a stand at a craft fair.  Think about specialist skills you might have – for example, I have experience working for the UK office of an American company, so I’m able to offer localisation services changing US into UK English.
•    Can I work from home on my own? Most freelance jobs do involve a fair bit of working alone.  Even a photographer or someone who sells through a market stall will need to spend a fair amount of marketing and admin time alone.  Are you good at motivating yourself? If you need people around you – well, co-working spaces can be very useful, but there is still a fair bit of sitting in your house pondering, doing admin, and getting on with work.
•    How will this affect the rest of my life? This is ever so important if you’re thinking of starting your own business while still working. As I said at the beginning, that’s how I’ve done it, and there have been times when I’ve had so much of my own work that I’ve had to put off friends, tell my partner he can only spend time with me if he sits in the chair in my study … silently! and I’ve pretty much given up reading for pleasure. Can your social and family life take this? Make sure you have your partner and/or family’s support.

Early days

Once you’ve answered these questions and decided to set up on your own, I advise doing the following:

•    Getting yourself online: it’s wise to get hold of a domain name right away (the URL of your website will be http://www.libroediting.com and not http://www.libroediting.wordpress.com for example), and set up a web page and email addresses using it. It is generally agreed that you look more professional if you do this.  And the more professional you appear to be, the more business you will attract.
•    If you’re in the UK, go on the HMRC course “Becoming self-employed” (find information in your local library or on the HMRC website).  This is my number one recommendation to people starting a business.  The course leader will tell you what records to keep so you can do important things like your tax return, and they tell you all about what to do, what funding and special tax breaks you can get, etc.
•    Again, in the UK, register your business with HMRC – you have to do this within a certain period after you start working and being paid for it. Have a look on their website or give them a ring. Their staff have always been very friendly and helpful when I’ve called them. Also go through the additional process to register to submit your tax return online.
•    UK again – register for a Certificate of Small Earnings Exception – this allows you to earn a certain amount before paying National Insurance and tax.
•    Get business cards – at first you can use somewhere inexpensive like Vistaprint but it’s important to have something to give out to potential clients and people who might recommend you.  Don’t go for gimmicks, just business cards will do at the start.
•    Be careful if you want to do as your own business something that you are already doing in your day job.  You might be about to be made redundant. If so – use those skills.  If you’re going to do it part-time while still working in that area, make sure your employer is OK with that and check your contract – ditto if you leave to set up on your own.  Better safe than sorry – and you will get found out.

In part 2 of this article, learn the top tips I use to make sure I keep on top of everything and run a successful and flourishing business …

You might also find my Freelance/Business people Saturday interview series useful to find out what people who are already in business wish they’d done differently, and their top tips, as well as my resource guide to articles on careers on this website. Also, do take a look at my e-books, which cover this topic in detail.

This article is based, with permission from the blog owner, on a guest post I wrote for the Subs Standards blog. That was for editors; this one’s for everyone!

 
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Posted by on October 12, 2011 in Business

 

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What I’ve been up to in September

05 Oct

September is another traditionally busy month for Libro, although again, like in August, I’ve had a good range of non-seasonal work as well as the expected deluge of Master’s dissertations. So, what has this proofreader, editor, writer, typist, transcriber and localiser been up to in the past month … ?

Copyedited at least 21 Master’s dissertations and three whole or part PhD theses (including one which was dictated into Dragon software, giving some interesting new issues to look out for!).

Copyedited several texts that have been translated into English from another language by native speakers of the other language, to make sure they flow well and conform to either British or American English standards.

Transcribed tapes for my long-term journalist client (an interview with a writer), and some new clients including a Chinese company who has outsourced transcription of tapes by American career coaches to me, and a company involved with helping writers market themselves.

Edited and written text for websites for a cleaning company and a faith-based charity.

Edited various company policies and tender applications for another long-term client.

Written some articles on retail display shelving for a fairly new regular client who has kindly been Tweeting my praises on Twitter.

Localised online content for the UK market for a football game, an exercise company and a big corporation that I can’t name because I was working for an agency on that one.

Edited and proofread the usual Yacht Club publications.

In non-paid work news, I’ve also …

Written a website (a very simple one in WordPress) for a locally based charitable organisation.

And I also

Attended a Social Media Cafe, where I was told I was an “oracle” who kept connecting people with one another! and went to my first Kings Heath Business Association breakfast.

Phew! I’ve also received the 21st questionnaire response for my Iris Murdoch research project, and I should be back on track applying to present a paper on it at the next Iris Murdoch Conference and writing up some results soon!

Coming up …

More of the same, really … well, fewer dissertations, but I’ve got some PhDs booked in to finish off and then it’s ongoing work with my regulars and hopefully picking up some more bits and pieces. And, of course, planning when and how to take Libro full-time!

Libro offers copyediting, copy writing, proofreading, transcription, typing and localisation services to other small businesses, individuals and corporations. Click on the links to find out more!

 
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Posted by on October 5, 2011 in Business, Celebration, Copyediting, Jobs, proofreading, Transcription, What Do I Do?, Writing

 

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What does a copy-typist do? What is copy-typing?

04 Oct

Do you have sheaves of handwritten notes from a training course or presentation you’ve attended? Maybe you like writing longhand and have completed a novel. You will find a copy-typist useful if you have a lot of typing to do from handwritten documents, especially if you don’t type very fast, or you just don’t have the time to sit down and type it up.

These days, I usually work from scanned handwritten documents, rather than the documents themselves, although I will happily accept the documents on paper too. Quite often, my copy-typing projects come via Virtual Assistants, who can easily outsource a single project like this to someone like me, if they don’t have time to do it themselves or would rather be doing something only they can do for their client.

I’ll then type it up – I usually correct spellings and put in the punctuation as I go, but I don’t have to, it depends what the client wants me to do!

I started off my freelance career years ago, typing up people’s PhD theses from their handwritten versions. It surprises me that, x years later, I still type for people; but there’s obviously still a need for it, and it’s a good thing to outsource.

Other useful articles on this blog

Copy-typing hints and tips 1: What it is, what it looks like and how to charge

Copy-typing hints and tips 2: How do I do copy-typing work?

 
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Posted by on October 4, 2011 in Business, Jobs, Skillset, What Do I Do?

 

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Why running a business is like running a marathon

21 Sep

I’m gearing up for running the Birmingham Half Marathon for the fourth time this October, as well as working my way towards doing Libro full-time, and it’s struck me that my two parallel endeavours do have, well, a number of parallels.

Oh, and yes, I know a half-marathon isn’t a marathon (although many people don’t seem to realise). A half-marathon, and a part-time job and a part-time business, are all I’m managing to fit in at the moment. Once I’m full-time with Libro, I intend to look at training for a full marathon.

So, why is running a business like running a (half) marathon?

You need to prepare first

With both running and business, there are certain things you should do before you even set foot on road / fingers on keyboard. With running, it’s a question of maybe checking with your doctor first, then getting a sports bra (for the ladies) and some decent trainers.  When you’re setting up a business, you need the basics (a computer, the right software, a phone, initial stock), registration with the relevant tax office (the HMRC in the UK) and perhaps a short course (I recommend the HMRC “Becoming Self-Employed” one).

You have to build up gradually

People are often amazed when I say I’ve been out for a 10-mile training run at the weekend. But I didn’t start off doing that: I started off, years ago, on a walk-run programme – walking for 2 minutes and running for 1 minute, for 15 minutes. Gradually I built up until I was running continuously for 15 minutes, then a few more, another mile … and there I was, able to trot along for 10 miles (or more) at a time.  Similarly, with the business, especially in my line of work, once you’re set up it’s a question of doing some work, getting some recommendations, doing some more work …

Don’t go mad buying stuff

When you start running, you don’t need ALL the kit. Bra and shoes, yes; something reflective if you’re going out in the dark, but you can go out in tracksuit bottoms and a t-shirt at first. Once you’re up and running and you know you’re going to stick with it, then is the time to get the wick-away tops and the fancy socks.  When setting up a business, you don’t need to buy a new desk, even complicated invoicing software – stick to the basics and buy more when you’ve really had time to assess what you need.

Seek the company and advice of others

I love running on my own – I can cogitate, relax, go into a meditative state, enjoy music that you might not expect of a sedate lady runner … but I have also benefitted hugely from the companionship – often online – of other runners. You can swap tales, encourage each other, get tips and hints, and help other people (see below).  In business, carefully-selected forums and networking groups can help you learn about best practice and different ways to do things, as well as helping you sell your services. And if you want to get out there with real, live people, then you can join a running club or a networking group and really profit from getting together with other people.

Diversify

As well as running, I go to the gym to work out with weights, cross-train and take spin classes.  When I’m running, I do different sessions – speedwork, tempo runs, long slow runs. All of this has improved my all-round fitness and my running in general. I know this, because I just achieved my second-best half marathon time ever … on a training run. With my business, I started off concentrating on a few key tasks, but increased the range of what I offered as I went along, and have ended up with a diverse group of customers and an interesting set of jobs.

Make time (and an effort) for others

I think this one is really important. As a runner who is perhaps not a “natural” and has reached achievable goals, I have tried to encourage other people to follow in my footsteps. I’ve encouraged a few other people to start running, and make time to answer their questions and support them in their goals. It was wonderful to run the Birmingham Half last year with Anna, who I’d taught to run over the year – in fact she beat me by a good way, and I was so proud of her.  In business, I try to give something back by helping other people, helping out at the Social Media Surgery, etc.  Maybe you can offer someone work experience, take on an apprentice or become a mentor.

Be ethical and a good example

This one is tied in to the point above, really.  I try to be a good ambassador for running. I don’t spit in the street and I try not to barge into people. I’m visible to traffic, cyclists and other pedestrians, and I always say thank you when someone moves out of the way for me. In the same way, I work ethically, don’t take short cuts and try to be courteous and helpful to everyone I come across in the business context.

Be in it for the long run

As I said above, you don’t just launch out running 10 miles in one go. Running is something I would like to stay with for a long time. I want to be one of those little old ladies gamely doing the marathon aged 80. I build up slowly, plan my running and make sure it’s sustainable. Similarly, with Libro I plan ahead for the next stage and try to make sure it’s sustainable, with a good mix of regular clients and one-offs.

Look after yourself

Run or train every day, miss your sleep, and fail to keep an eye on your nutrition, and you’ll soon find your running goes to pot. Work every hour there is, ignore your family and eat rubbish at your desk, and you’re likely to find yourself a bit lonely and possibly unwell. Balance is key in both areas (actually, I use the running to keep the balance in the rest of my life, so the two are inextricably entwined for me).

Enjoy it!

Lastly: if you’ve chosen a sport to take part in or you run your own business, you should be enjoying it, at least most of the time! These are things you’ve chosen to do. If you’re not enjoying it, stop, have a little think, work out why you’re not enjoying it, and take steps to change that.

I hope this has been useful. Can anyone add any more similarities?

Libro offers copyediting, copy writing, proofreading, transcription, typing and localisation services to other small businesses, individuals and corporations. Click on the links to find out more!

 
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Posted by on September 21, 2011 in Business, Jobs, Organisation

 

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Saturday freelance chat – Nathan Littleton

17 Sep

Our chat this week is with Nathan Littleton of Future Visions, a web design and email marketing company.  I’ve  been working with Nathan since late last year, both writing content for websites he’s designed and working with him on his own downloadable content and newsletters.  The amazing thing about Nathan is that he’s been running his business for 8 years … and he’s still only 21! Actually, the most impressive thing I find about Nathan is his generosity in recommending me to his contacts and friends.  I was introduced to him via another client and he’s passed my details on to several people who have become regular Libro clients.  He is also great at retweeting on Twitter and posting reviews on various sites whenever he’s asked to – thanks Nathan!
Anyway, let’s find out what life’s like when you set up your own business aged 13 …
What’s your business called? When did you set it up?
My business is called Future Visions; we specialise in creating websites and email marketing campaigns that bring business owners a measurable return on investment. I set the business up in 2003, aged 13.
What made you decide to set up your own business?
Having practised web design as a hobby for a couple of years, I did it because I really enjoyed it and recognised the opportunity to earn a bit more money than my friends who had paper rounds or corner shop jobs.
What made you decide to go into this particular business area?
Being quite young, it was the only thing I really could do!
Had you run your own business before?
No – I’d only just started high school, so I pretty much started from scratch. I didn’t know what was expected of me when I walked into a meeting with a new prospective client, so I just did what I thought was right. There were a few slightly raised eyebrows, but looking back, I respect the clients I worked with back then for taking the plunge and choosing to work with me (some are still clients today).
How did you do it? Did you launch full-time, start off with a part-time or full-time job to keep you going … ?
It was a juggling act to maintain the business and keep up with school work, so at any given point I’d find myself giving a greater focus to one or the other until I managed to strike a balance. When I finished high school and went into sixth form college, I got a part-time job to support me through times where projects were thin on the ground. I still see that as a good decision because I’d naively forgone the planning of my business in the early stages, so it gave me chance to step back out of the business and plot where I was going.
What do you wish someone had told you before you started?
I wish someone would have told me how much I was really worth! Perhaps it came with age, experience and maybe confidence, but I priced myself quite low compared to the rest of the market. On the other hand, I was running the business from my bedroom, so anything I earned went straight into my pocket, and this may have given me a competitive advantage while I got my feet under the table.
What would you go back and tell your newly entrepreneurial self?
To start with the end in mind. I never really looked at what my goals were, so I never had any targets to meet. I wouldn’t change much about my fledgling teen career, but I’d love to look back on what I wanted to achieve back then.
What do you wish you’d done differently?
If I’d have known the benefits of systemising a business early on, I’d have done it much sooner.
What are you glad you did?
When I finished sixth form, I had a dilemma: take my business full-time and achieve as much as I possibly can, or take the same path as many of my school friends and study at university. I opted for the former and never  looked back, and I couldn’t be happier with that decision. If I’d gone to university, I’d have had to give up the business, and I didn’t want to wonder what I might have achieved had I carried on in business. Many of my friends have now graduated  and are struggling to find jobs, so I consider myself fortunate to be in a growing business. I have every intention of going to university, but I’ll study something I’m passionate about, rather than what I believe will give me the best job prospects; and hopefully, without the burden of student debt.
What’s your top business tip?
I’ll copy a tip many of the business greats have shared, and it’s to be a marketer of ‘your thing,’ not a doer of ‘your thing’. When freelancers (by definition) take on new work, they’re selling time for money. Without increasing their rates, there’s a limit to what they can earn. By outsourcing delivery or employing people to work on new projects, they can grow more quickly and start to see how lucrative running a business can be. I’m about half way there now, and I know that’s the best way for me to grow my business.
How has it gone since you started? Have you grown, diversified or stayed the same?
Growth was slow while I studied at school, but we’ve grown a lot since then. Since 2003, sales volume and profit has risen, sometimes doubled, year on year. We now work with a freelance network all over the world and even have some international clients dotted around.
Where do you see yourself and your business in a year’s time?
On a sunny beach, preferably. The goals for the next year are big ones, and we’re looking to work with more and more freelance designers who are passionate about what they do and are hungry for more business. With that, the business will be completely systemised to improve client delivery and turnaround times.
Catch up with how Nathan was doing a year on… was he on that sunny beach?
Nathan’s website is http://www.future-visions.co.uk. You can call the office on 0121 288 3688 and they’ll be happy to help.
Thanks for your interview, and I’ll look forward to hearing from you when you’re sitting on that sandy beach (still sending me work!) next year!
If you’ve enjoyed this interview, please click here for more freelancer chat, or here for information on how you can have your business featured.
 
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Posted by on September 17, 2011 in Business, New skills, Small Business Chat

 

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Saturday freelance chat – Zoe Austin

10 Sep

Welcome to the newest freelance chat interview – and this one’s with someone I’ve known for years!  I met Zoe Austin back in 2005 or 6 when we were both working at the University Library. We met via BookCrossing (she had some books to donate to the library’s BookCrossing Zone) and bonded over that and the lovely earrings she made to sell for the library charity. We kept in touch when Zoe moved away to Cambridgeshire to study Music Therapy, and I’ve been interested and proud to see her set up this creative and helpful business. As well as teaching standard music lessons, Zoe is expanding into using her qualification to provide professional Music Therapy sessions to people in her area.

Personally, I find it very interesting to see what people in the creative sector have to say about business – there are many ways the more traditional of us can learn from this and use their ideas in our own lives and businesses. So let’s say hello to Zoe!

What’s your business called? When did you set it up?

I registered my name as ‘Zoe Austin Music & Therapy’ but at the moment I am marketing it as ‘Zoe Austin Music’. It will probably change again soon!  I began teaching music privately whilst at Exeter University in 2001-2002 to make a bit of extra cash, but took it up again properly in 2009.

What made you decide to set up your own business?

I qualified as a Music Therapist in 2008 from Anglian Ruskin University with the plan to establish a part-time private practice whilst working in a related field for my day job, looking for other Music Therapy work for an agency like the NHS in the meantime. Well, the Music Therapy has not quite appeared yet in the way I had hoped (watch this space!) but I have been able to continue with what I call ‘standard’ music lessons and ‘therapeutic’ lessons/sessions in which I have taught, for example, a client with mental health difficulties and another with Down’s Syndrome.

Since September 2010, I have been teaching on a Saturday with the Cambridgeshire Music Fenland area academy, teaching and conducting young people. I have found this to be immensely rewarding and it has further cemented my lifelong love of music and the fact that, when I am sharing music in this way, I am living my authentic creative life. This is the reason why I am now expanding my business: so I can make music my livelihood as well as my life’s work.

What made you decide to go into this particular business area?

See above! Music has, I am lucky to say, always been a hugely important part of my life. I began learning violin aged 3 and the lifelong love began! As the song goes, music was my first love and it will be my last. Now I am determined to make it my living and letting, as Rumi put it, what I love be what I do.

Had you run your own business before?

Nope. I always fancied being my own boss and that is still the ultimate goal – full-time self-employment, operating out of my own premises with perhaps a member of staff to do admin things.

How did you do it? Did you launch full-time, start off with a part-time or full-time job to keep you going … ?

I have been working part-time teaching music in the evenings and at weekends whilst working full-time in children’s social care.

What do you wish someone had told you before you started?

This won’t surprise you, Liz! Register for tax self-assessment in plenty of time as you can’t complete the thing before you receive their PIN number through the post, which can take up to a week!

What would you go back and tell your newly entrepreneurial self?

I feel that I am still new to all this, really. Hmm … Maybe what Julia Cameron reminds us in ‘The Artist’s Way’: leap and the net will appear. Also, importantly, ‘YOU CAN DO IT!!!’

What do you wish you’d done differently?

Again, kind of hard to say at what still feels like the beginning of all this but … there was the tax thing, so maybe don’t be afraid of the admin side of things and get them done and in order as swiftly as possible so you can concentrate on more interesting things.

What are you glad you did?

Registered with musicteachers.co.uk. It has been the main way in which, thus far, people have found out about my business. Now that I have set up a blog and Facebook page, I am hoping to attract more business. I am hoping that the business cards I have been pinning to community notice boards county-wide will also yield results!

What’s your top business tip?

At the moment, for me it would have to involve purchasing and completing The Artist’s Way. It is a 12-week course for creative recovery, so is obviously quite pertinent for me as a musician, but I would also recommend it as a general tool for helping with clear-thinking and prioritizing what is important in our working lives.

How has it gone since you started? Have you grown, diversified or stayed the same?

Again, watch this space! I am, all being well, on the brink of some major changes which I can’t really discuss yet as nothing is set in stone yet. I will say that things seem to be changing for the better in my work life and for my business.

Where do you see yourself and your business in a year’s time?

Teaching music, providing Music Therapy and doing paid performances – all together providing my complete source of income. I hope, as more money comes in, to be able to invest in more advertising and an actual website rather than just my little blog (proud of it though I am). I would also like to be able to afford to receive music tuition for myself again, attend music workshops and MT conferences. Musical self-sufficiency, really!

I would also like to be able to afford to offer free or reduced-price Music Therapy in areas of need within Cambridgeshire, such as Oxmoor estate in Huntingdon  or the Arbury in Cambridge.

Can I just add: Thank you so much for interviewing me and helping to spread the word!

Thank you very much for participating, and I for one really look forward to watching your progress as you grow and expand the business!  Zoe’s Facebook Page is here  You can email Zoe or call her on 07791 308546.

A quick update: Zoe submitted these replies to me a few weeks ago, and there have been some exciting developments since then (the power of the Freelancer Chat Interview at work before it’s even posted?!) – I’ll let her tell you what’s happening:

“I will be teaching and providing Music Therapy through Huntingdon Regional College for 3 days a week and am very happy to have found  some part-time paid employment in this field – ideal really, as it allows me to do what I love and continue to expand my business. I am covering a 2 term maternity leave teaching violin privately in three Peterborough schools and, thanks to word of mouth and musicteachers.co.uk, I am also giving a singing lesson at Priory Grange Hospital in St Neots and hope to set up a Music Therapy group there in the near future! I am so happy and grateful for how things are working out!“

Congratulations, Zoe: I’m very pleased for you!

 If you’ve enjoyed this interview, please click here for more freelancer chat.

 
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Posted by on September 10, 2011 in Business, New skills, Small Business Chat

 

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What I’ve been up to in August

07 Sep

August is one of Libro’s traditionally busy months, along with September, mainly owing to the looming deadlines for student undergraduate and Master’s dissertations.  But this past month, I have been busy with much more than dissertations, although those have been active too.

Deep breath! Ready … in August I have …

Copyedited 28 dissertations / theses or parts thereof (sometimes people send me them chapter by chapter, with gaps of time in between while they write the next bit).

Copyedited some documents translated into English to make sure the (British or American) English was fluent-sounding and appropriate (another long-term client who’s been concentrating on a project translated out of English over the summer – it’s good to have him back!)

Proofread a few tender applications and company policies for a regular client.

Typed up 2 inverview transcriptions for my ongoing journalist client and one set of interviews for a student’s dissertation.

Polished a freelance training expert’s web text and copyedited several blog posts for her too.  Worked on web text for a retail shelving company.

Written 2 advertorials for my retail shelving company client to be published in September in a trade magazine.  Also written 5 features on local businesses in the Black Country for a local website.

Written up Terms and Conditions for a web designer based on previous Ts & Cs for his other services (to be checked by a lawyer, of course!)

Recorded myself reading a list of English names for a website where you input a name and hear someone from their country saying the name (!).

Localised webtext for a large software company and a dealer brochure for a cult automotive company, both working from American to British English.

In non-paid work news, I’ve also …

Helped  my mentee with his webtext, social media presence and hopefully found him a mentor in his particular line of business and written some explanatory text for a student starting up a new business, that can be used for webtext or a press release.

Helped at a Social Media Cafe and attended Birmingham Entrepreneurs’ Meetup and Social Media Cafe networking events; also attempted co-working at a cafe with no wifi (more on that later when I’ve written up the review!).

Had two guest posts published on other people’s blogs – this is something I love doing (so do ask if you’d like me to write something for your blog!) and hosting (so do ask if you’d like to contribute to this blog!) and published 4 freelancer/businessperson Saturday interview features.

Phew! I’ve also received the 20th questionnaire response for my Iris Murdoch research project, although I’ve given myself study leave for August-September so I can concentrate on Libro busy times rather than trying to write up research at the same time!

Coming up … more of the same really – I’ve already written some marketing materials, worked on some dissertations, started another transcription and localised a newsletter!

Libro offers copyediting, copy writing, proofreading, transcription, typing and localisation services to other small businesses, individuals and corporations. Click on the links to find out more!

 
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Posted by on September 7, 2011 in Business, Celebration, Copyediting, Jobs, proofreading, Transcription, What Do I Do?, Writing

 

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Networking and social media marketing

17 Aug

Today I’m going to talk about social media and live networking and why they’re similar in so many ways.  If you run a business, here are some hints about how they work and how you can also help fellow businesses to use them. If you have friends who run businesses, see how you can help them extend their reach and help more people.

Whether I’m talking to an individual at a networking event, tweeting a link to a blog post or updating my status on Libro’s Facebook page, I’m (hopefully) addressing two audiences.  The first is the person I’m speaking to. And the second is the people to whom they could potentially carry my message.

Networking events, co-working sessions, Twitter followers, Facebook friends – what they have in common is that each is a network.  Think of it like pyramid selling or chain letters but in a good way.  X knows 2 people who know 2 people each, that’s 4, each of those know two people and that makes 8 – even if some of them know each other, the network doubles each time.  Or rabbits. It’s a bit like rabbits, too …

These networks are more diverse and varied than you might at first think. Even if you’re close to someone in your life, history or profession, it is unlikely that your network overlaps with theirs completely.  Some examples …

  • My partner of 12 years – I have 353 friends on Facebook, he has 115, but we only share 62 of those people.
  • A Birmingham friend interested in the same things as me has 161 friends – and only 80 of them are shared with me.
  • An old University friend who is a freelancer like me has just 8 mutual friends out of a total of 239.
  • Similarly, Libro has 115 individual “likers” plus 8 businesses, so I make sure I share some of my Libro updates with my wider circle of friends.
  • It’s the same on Twitter – I’m pretty sure that not all my friends’ followers are following me (although it’s harder to extract the figures there), so if I retweet a business’s message, my 833 followers will see their message, and if they retweet mine, theirs will know about me.

When I’m at a networking meeting, I’m aware that the person I’m talking to is not always likely to want to buy my services.  But it’s very likely that, if I’ve made a good impression on them, they will remember me, and when they come across someone else in their social or business network who needs something that I offer, they will recall my details and pass my information on.  There’s lots of research on how to ensure that happens, but the general principle stands.

In the same way, if I tweet or put up a Facebook update about something Libro’s doing, the people who see it directly from me probably know all about what I do, or they might not need a proofreader or transcriber right now.  But if they “share” the Facebook post or retweet the tweet, who’s to know who out of their wider circle might find it useful?

Much of my work comes through personal recommendation, usually from previous clients, but also through networks of friends and associates.  This isn’t a plea to share and retweet my stuff, though … it’s a general reflection on how you can help your friends with businesses small and not-so-small to grow their networks and get known about.  Even large organisations need this – I was talking to someone from a museum just the other day, and he was bemoaning the lack of likes and shares on their Facebook page. Which is, by the way, good, engaging and interesting.

Hopefully this post has made some entrepreneurs, and most importantly their friends, aware of just how important the power of networks can be to their businesses.  Share a post or a tweet by a friend, a charity you support, a business you like … and someone in your network of contacts might find just what they need!

—

Postscript: Given the riots in the UK that happened just after I posted this piece, and the discussion on social media surrounding them, I thought I should say a few words on that subject. Social media – Twitter, Facebook and the like – are just another communication medium, like newspapers, letters and the telephone. Even if some newspapers print vile things, it doesn’t mean newspapers in themselves are dangerous and evil.  Poison pen letters don’t lead to calls for paper and pens to be banned. Personally, during the riots, I saw many good things come through Twitter, in particular. My local pub and other people in my area tweeted out reassurances that all was quiet. The police and the Resilience Team sent out messages of calm and information, and we retweeted those to help damp down unsubstantiated rumours. I heard about the cleanup campaign through Twitter and would never have known about it without that medium. So don’t worry that you’re helping perpetuate some kind of evil empire if you retweet a message about a decorators or editor – it’s just a communication channel!

 
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Posted by on August 17, 2011 in Business, Jobs

 

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